Submariner Sunburst Dial vs Smurf

[skallir]

Does anyone know when they started making the Sunburst dial on the 116613 model? would it be possible to get the old blue model from an AD, or only second hand?

[japenney]

ahhhh i know the 116618 became sunburst in 2013 so I would say before that sometime? You will not find a flat blue 116613 new.

[Etschell]

only if it is NOS, which would be hard.

[DRKBC]

I have owned the sunburst dial which is gorgeous but I am personally a fan of the smutf. Not that you asked :-)

[anothernewphone]

I've kept an eye out for non-sunburst dials on 116613Lb models lately, but haven't found a single one up for sale.

[Rick_Nashville]

The flat blue 116613LB models do pop up for sale from time to time. I think a reasonable number of them were produced between ~2009 and ~2013. I found an absolutely pristine condition pre-owned example in Jan 2016 (from a trusted seller here on TRF), so I know it's possible. Just keep watching the TRF 'Rolex for Sale' forum, have your funds ready, and you should be able to find one or more to choose from within the next 3-6 months.

[pw98]

Check everyone's favorite online auction. Saw some new ones on there.

[Cerachrom12]

Contact David SW. He can find just about anything.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by DRKBC

I have owned the sunburst dial which is gorgeous but I am personally a fan of the smut

Thanks for sharing, but this is a watch forum.

[superstarmar]

Originally Posted by AK797

Thanks for sharing, but this is a watch forum.

I didn't catch that one ... good one Neil

[superstarmar]

Both nice but I prefer the sunburst as I have one
and really enjoy it ...

It was early 2013 that the sunburst dial was re-released.
The smurf flat blue didn't do as well as Rolex had thought
and I believe customers were requesting the blue sunburst
dial to come back ... From what I know , maybe others can add..

[Canook]

im with you on this one.. i had a sunburst 116613lb and unless it was in the right lighting the dial wasnt as pretty as it was always portrayed.
I did however pick up a smurf/powder blue dial 116613lb last week and to be honest i love it.
I know the masses love the sunburst but i now prefer the smurf dial

[Glidelock]

Originally Posted by DRKBC

I have owned the sunburst dial which is gorgeous but I am personally a fan of the smutf. Not that you asked :-)

Originally Posted by AK797

Thanks for sharing, but this is a watch forum.

Lol! Looks like Neil beat me to it, but I was gonna say Yes...you'll find a lot of Smutf Fans here on the internet!

[LuminousMaximus]

Originally Posted by Canook

im with you on this one.. i had a sunburst 116613lb and unless it was in the right lighting the dial wasnt as pretty as it was always portrayed.
I did however pick up a smurf/powder blue dial 116613lb last week and to be honest i love it.
I know the masses love the sunburst but i now prefer the smurf dial

Hey Canook, you still have the Smurf dial?

[Al1969]

Originally Posted by DRKBC

I have owned the sunburst dial which is gorgeous but I am personally a fan of the smutf. Not that you asked :-)

[mjrennie]

I had a 116613LB on Smurf and now a 116618LB on Sunburst. I like them equally. Really, both a delight.

[c41006]

Originally Posted by AK797

Thanks for sharing, but this is a watch forum.

[Bigsykedaddy]

Originally Posted by LuminousMaximus

Hey Canook, you still have the Smurf dial?

Are you selling your glorious Smurf Sam? Say it ain't so???

[briansshin]

I own the Smurf and went hunting for specifically the Smurf model of the 116613LB. I dont know what it is, but the flat smurf dial "pops" so much better and looks so much cleaner than the Sunburst dial. I'm not saying that the Sunburst is a "terrible" watch by no means, but if I had the option of purchasing the Smurf, even at a premium of... lets say an extra $1,500, I think I would ultimately end up paying the extra $1,500 for the Smurf.

Please remember, this is my OWN opinion and preference. Everyone has their own preferences. Maybe my age has something to do with it too (I'm 36, turning 37 in September), but for whatever reason, that Smurf blue is everything. I wouldn't sell it for anything... well thats a lie.. everything can be bought... but to be honest, I don't think there is much I would take for the Smurf due to its Limited availability.

Like the other posters have stated, it is VERY difficult to find, and they rarely pop up even in the classifieds. I'm very happy holding onto it for a very, very long time :)

[Kawirider]

I have the sunburst 116613lb. Before buying, I saw the smurf online and I wasn’t very interested in it. I was all about the sunburst. Right before I found my pre owned sunburst, i checked out a smurf in person and was seconds away from purchasing it. I personally love how the smurf dial matches the ceramic bezel perfectly. Although it is a “flat” blue, it has a wonderful sheen to it. On the other hand, the sunburst constantly changes colors and looks amazing in the sunlight. The only thing I don’t like is sometimes it doesn’t match the bezel whatsoever. Obviously as you can tell, I turned down the smurf and got the sunburst. The only reason for this is because I know how I am, and I knew if I didn’t get the exact watch that I wanted(sunburst), I would find a reason to sell it(smurf).


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[Kostas]

I’ve had the 13lb smurf dial with diamond markers , not bad at all !

[pkincy]

Help me out. What is the difference between a smurf and a sunburt dial. Can somebody post comparative pictures.

Is the dial darker or lighter or is the bezel darker or lighter?

[nigelUK]

'Smut' for me !

[nigelUK]

Originally Posted by pkincy

Help me out. What is the difference between a smurf and a sunburt dial. Can somebody post comparative pictures.

Is the dial darker or lighter or is the bezel darker or lighter?

The 'sunburt' dial is different in that on close inspection the dial radiates in lines from the centre to the outside. This way of decorating the dial creates colour shift when light hits it at different angles. They tend to look much nicer in natural daylight ... personally I think some of them don't look too good in artificial light ...

[AK797]

Originally Posted by nigelUK

'Smut' for me !

It's still better than Batgirl.

Below is the sunburst dial.

[mjb01]

I have the "Smurf" But it looks different with lighting conditions.

[Dawg2]

I have the smurf dial and I really like it. In the right light it is a brilliant blue.

[Coolshades]

Does anybody know exactly when they stopped making the Smurf dial on the TT? I own one and have the warranty card which is dated May 2015. Did they stop in 2013 or were they still making them through 2013. I bought it from a trusted dealer. I have purchased new Rolex watches from my AD before the current bubble that were produced a couple of years earlier based on their serial number. I know people didn’t like the Smurf dial at the time so it could have sat in the case a while but it makes me a little concerned somebody might have switched the dials. If they stopped in 2012 that’s three years post production. They went to random serial numbers in 2011 so I can’t tell when the case or bracelet was made. Does anybody have any experience with the warranty card being dated this for post production? I don’t want to send the watch to Rolex for service one day and have them give me grief that it has a replaced dial. Is there anyway I can find out without paying for a factory service? I love the Smurf color by the way. I compared it side-by-side with the Sunburst and for me there’s no comparison. I wear it on a blue Rubber B and people are constantly commenting on how good it looks.

[minke19104]

Sunburst for me.

[RobGomez]

My flat blue from 2012 E407772A-C47A-49AF-A4D4-1EB61D9E9E5B.jpg


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